Litter carrier



M. D. TATE LITTER CARRIER March 3, 1953 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Oct. 18. 1949 Inventor Merle D. Tate M. D. TATE LITTER CARRIER March 3, 1953 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 Filed Oct 18, 1949 Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LITTER CARRIER Merle D. Tate, Cannon Falls, Minn.

Application October 18, 1949, Serial No. 122,039

4 Claims.

This invention relates to novel and useful improvements in litter carriers.

An object of this invention is to selectively control the direction of rotation of a shaft, which shaft operates a carriage adapted to support various substances by means of a single movement either in one direction or the other direction of a control mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved litter carrier which includes a pair of friction disks operatively connected by a driving element or wheel whereby upon movement of the driving element or wheel from one disk to the other, the direction of operation of the carriage is controlled, and after such movement, the driving element is returned by spring action to the inoperative or out-of-contact relationship with the disks.

Ancillary objects and features will become apparent in the following description of the illustrated form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational View of the device showing a suggested assembly;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of a part of the structure shown in Figure 1, portions being broken away in section to illustrate detail of construction;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan View of the assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4. is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3 and in the direction of the arrows; and- Figure 5 is a largely schematic plan view of fragments of the device illustrating the position of the parts or components when the driving element is drivingly connected with one of the disks.

'The present invention deals with litter carrier assemblies but may be employed for transporting any suitable article or articles.

In the system, a post or pole It is employed at a position remote from that where the litter is collected. A bed generally indicated at E2 is disposed at the position where collection and loading takes place. This bed includes a pair of parallel sides l4 and [6 which may be made of any suitable stock, such as channel iron, and a pair of cross members [8 and connecting the sides. A bracket 24 is disposed on the cross member l8 and has a pivot pin, as the bolt 26, passed therethrough' and also through the cross member W. This mounts the bracket 24 for pivotal movement ina horizontal plane since the axis of the bolt 26 is vertical.

"A pair of air braces 30 and 32 are disposed in parallel relationship with the sides l4 and i6 and are fixed to the cross members 28 and I8. An arcuate bar 36 is secured to the ends of the braces 30 and 32 and is accordingly, in a higher plane than the braces.

An extension in the form of a bar 33 is riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the bracket 24, passing under the curved member 38 but being disposed on the cross member 29.

A motor 40 is fixed on the bracket 24 and has a drive shaft 42 extending therefrom. This drive shaft has a friction driving element 44 removably secured thereto for selective driving engagement with the friction disks 46 and 48, respectively.

The friction disks are secured in spaced relationship on the shaft 513 which is mounted in bearings 52 and 54, respectively. These bearings are carried by the sides It and I6 and are of conventional description.

A second shaft 58 is mounted in bearings 66) and 82, the shaft 58 being parallel to the shaft 56. The bearings 69 and 62 are carried by the said sides [4 and It. A sprocket 64 and a sprocket 66 are secured to the shafts 50 and 58, respectively, and there is a chain 68 entrained around both sprockets. It will be noted at this point that a V-groove pulley-belt arrangement may be employed as an alternative for the sprocket and chain assembly.

Vertical standards 16 and 18 are secured at the end of the bed l2 and specifically are secured to the sides i6 and [4. These vertical standards are adapted to be suspended from any suitable structural elements, as the beam schematically shown in Figure 1 and indicated at Bil. The vertical standards 19 and 83 are secured to the front ends of the sides l4 and I6 and may be braced These as by gusset plate BI (note Figure 1). members are also adapted to be suspended from a beam or specially provided structural assembly.

A hanger 82 is disposed above and to the side of the bed. This hanger supports a cable or trolley wire 84 by means of the clamp 85 which The opposite end is secured to one end thereof. of the trolley wire 84 has another clamp 86 secured thereto on the rear face or surface of a bracket 83 which is carried by the post ID. This on the cable 84 is provided. This means consistsof a pair of trolley wheels 94 and 96 which are carried by the brackets 91 and 98. These brackets are fixed to the opposite ends of the receptacle 92. Since the trolley wheels 94 and 96 are disposed on the cable 84, the carriage is free to slide from one end thereof to the other.

A single length of cable, rope or the like indicated at I is secured at its ends to the ears I92 and I04 which are fixed to the opposite ends of the receptacle 9,2, This cable I00 is. also entrained around the pulleys I08 and H0, respectively, which are supported by the post iii and bed I2, respectively. The pulley 108 is mounted on a bracket H2 which is secured to the post H]...

The pulley H0 is fixed to the shaft 58 for rotative movement therewith. A fibre or. rubber liner I I6 is disposed on the periphery of. the pulley M0 to insure a frictional drive.

In operation the motor is is energized; Then, when there is a driving connection between the disk 46. or the disk 48and the driving element 34, the pulley [10 will beoperated. This will cause movement of. the carriage toward and away from the bed l2, depending upon, whether the drive is through the disk 46 or 48.

In order to cause this selectivity of operation, there is a pair of guides, as the pulleys I20 and I22, respectively, which are fixed to brackets 2 and I26. These brackets are carried by the bed at the end thereof adjacent the junction between the supports 15,18 and the sides 14, It. Acontrol rope or cable 128 is, secured at one end to a rocker I30 and is entrained over the pulley [2b. An identical control rope or cable E32 is entrained over the pulley I22 and has its inner end attached to the same rocker I39. Since the rocker is pivoted to the arm 38,,when one or the other of, the control cables or ropes are pulled, this movement is reflected in pivotal movement of-the bracket 2 and motor ill In order to, return themotor to such position that the driving element 44 does not engage the disks 46 and 43, resilient means is provided opposing the-operation of the bracket 24. This resilient means consists of a spring i38 which is, secured at. one end to the curved member 36 and securedat; its. other end to the hook Mil. This hoek is rigidly'securedto the arm 38 so that the load applied to the spring by, turning the bracket, 24 may-cause the bracket toreturn to a positionsubstantiaily parallelto the sides land When themotorris pivoted about its pivot, shaft 26, the: rollers I59, l5l, H2, and I154 are brought, intoplay. These rollers are fixed beneath the mo.- tor baseor pivot plate 24, for movementtherewith, Brake arms 15,6 and E58 are secured on fixed pivots I60, and I62 carried by a suitable stationary. structural member and are engaged. by these rollers upon-pivotal operation of the motor. The brake arms 156; and I58 are arranged so that the brake linin material at the ends, thereof con-,

tact, the disks 46. and 48, respectively, when the.

motor-sis in suchposition that the drivingelement 44 is spaced from said disks. However-,when the motor is pivotally operated, as to the position shown in Figure 5, the roller i5 engages, and. pushes, the arm I56, to, such position. that it is,

spaced from the disk 46. The roller i5 3 contacts thearm, I58yalso spacing it fromits disk at; The brake is, thereby r l ase utas-soon as thedrive ing, element 44 is spaced from eitheri of the disks, thebrake a m r n a k gainst th k it; 8.. firmly hrqus tlie'e ti .v of; th pr n s. i nd :5 F ance) which QPHQ e he. inw rd,

movement of said brake arms.

The purpose of the brake is obvious in that it prevents overriding of the carrier bucket and also prevents movement of the bucket which is undesirable, as by sag in the line and as by wind.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A carrier comprising a post and a mounting bed remote from the post, a carriage, a wire extending from said bed to said post, means secured to said carriage and disposed on said wire supporting said carriage, means separate from said wire and disposed on said bed and operatively connected to opposite sides of said carriage for operating said carriage selectively in opposite directions onsaid wire, including a shaft mounted on said bed with a first and a second friction disk mounted thereon, and a driving member mounted pivotally on said bed between said disks and engaging said first and second disks selectively to operate said shaft in opposite directions, a. motor secured to said driving member, a pivoted'bracket supporting said motor on said bed, a pair of' guides secured to said bed, a pair of flexible members secured to said bracket, one of the flexible members being entrained over one guide. and the,

other flexible member being entrained over the.

tending from said bed to said post, meanssecuredto said carriage and disposed on said wire supporting said carriage, means separate fromsaid.

wire and disposed on said bed and operatively connected to opposite sides of said carriage for operating said carriage selectively in opposite directions on said wire, including a shaft mount,- ed on said bed with afirst and a second friction disk mounted thereon, and a driving member mounted pivotally on said bed between said disks and engaging said first and second disks selectively to operate said shaft in oppositedirections, a motor secured to said driving member, a pivoted bracket supporting said motor on said bed, a pair of guides secured to said bed, a pair of flexible members secured to said bracket, one of the flexible members being entrained over oneguideand the other flexible member being entrained over the other guide, the guides being disposed on opposite sides of said bracket whereby pulling;

one of the flexible members causes pivotal movement of said bracket, and a spring. reacting, on.- said bracket on said bed opposing the 'pivotal'.

operation of said bracket.

3. In a device to rotate a shaft,.a.bed. having a vertical pivot, a bracket mounted for. pivotal.

movement on said vertical pivot and supporting a motor, a driving element adapted to beactuated a first friction diskand a second friction. disk spaced from said first friction disk, said disks being in parallel position with respect to each other, a shaft located on said bed and having said disks fixed thereto, said element being located between said disks, and means operatively connected with; said bracket to swing said bracket pivotallyabout said pivot so as to engage said driving element.

selectively with said disks.

4. The, device, of claim 3 and brake, members carried by said bed and including arms, said arms having their outer ends arranged to contact said disks, and means carried by said bracket and contacting said arms to separate said outer ends of said arms from collectively said first and said second disk in response to pivotal movement of said bracket.

MERLE D. TATE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Number Name Date 1,251,001 Farling Dec. 25, 1917 1,262,227 Miller Apr. 9, 1918 1,506,974 Cooley Sept. 2, 1924 1,550,929 Strauss Aug. 25, 1925 1,620,785 Roan Mar. 15, 1927 1,775,941 Meyers Sept. 16, 1930 2,349,263 Grabinski May 23, 1944 2,401,316 Richards June 4, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES Elements of Machine Designs, by Kimball and Barr, published by John Wiley and Sons in New York city in 1923; pages 376 to 391 inclusive. 

